Chapter 65

Chapter 65

In early December, a heavy snowfall brought the temperature down even further.

The heated wall at home was finally lit, making the house warm and cozy.

Xu Meng finally got to enjoy her monthly break and slept in until past nine.

On such a cold day, Feng Yanwen was too lazy to make breakfast either, so she went out early in the morning to buy some. When she returned, she heard movement inside—Xu Meng must have woken up. "I’m going to look at a shop today. When are you heading out?"

Feng Yanwen preferred something warm in the morning, so she bought some soybean pudding.

Xu Meng, on the other hand, liked richer, meat-heavy foods—she'd only eat meat buns, preferably soup dumplings!

Feng Yanwen tidied up the books and notebooks on the table and sat down to eat her breakfast quickly before heading out.

With more and more students enrolling, many were signing up for winter classes. The house was too small, so Xu Meng suggested renting a place to run a training center. Lately, Feng Yanwen had been busy looking for rentals.

Both mother and daughter were busy.

Xu Meng, wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket, hurried out of the bedroom, grabbed a soup dumpling, and popped it into her mouth. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and sighed, "This place’s soup dumplings are the best. Too bad I only get them on monthly breaks."

Feng Yanwen looked at her raven-black hair, reflecting on how the child had grown up without her even noticing.

When Xu Meng first came to live with her, she was just over a year old, with a weak stomach—unable to tolerate high-protein foods like milk or eggs, which gave her diarrhea. Living on just congee, she was malnourished, as thin as a twig, and pale.

Her pale little face looked almost translucent.

Back then, her parents were heading south and worried she wouldn't withstand the long trip, so they left her with relatives. Now, she was all grown up. Feng Yanwen had never met Xu Meng’s parents, but neighbors said her mother was a great beauty, and Xu Meng took after her—pretty since childhood.

At the time, Feng Yanwen had still hoped for her own biological child and wasn't particularly interested in raising an unrelated child.

But Xu Meng was so frail, and Feng Yanwen’s motherly instincts took over—she feared the girl wouldn’t survive if no one took her in.

So she raised her like a little pet, and over time, love grew.

Feng Yanwen took a bite of a soup dumpling but found it overly greasy. Frowning, she switched to the soybean pudding. The two chatted for a while until footsteps sounded outside. Both turned to look.

Smith walked in, carrying Emma.

Snow had started falling again, and the father and daughter walked slowly. Emma spotted Feng Yanwen through the window and excitedly squirmed out of her father’s hold, dashing to the door.

As it opened, a blast of cold air rushed in, making Xu Meng shudder violently.

Smith quickly ushered Emma inside and shut the door.

Feng Yanwen had just finished her soybean pudding. Closing the container, she greeted Emma.

"Hello, Emma. What brings you by today?"

There were no classes, and Smith rarely dropped by unannounced.

Emma looked up at her with big, starry blue eyes, sparkling with excitement.

Smith said, "Feng, I need to talk to you."

Feng Yanwen lifted her gaze, signaling for him to sit first.

But Smith was in a hurry. Waving his hand, he didn’t mind Xu Meng’s presence and got straight to the point. "Feng, my school in England wants me back. There are things I need to say now—or I might never get the chance."

Feng Yanwen gave him a look, urging him to go on.

Smith looked at Xu Meng, gritted his teeth, and went on, "Emma’s mom and I split up before she was born, so I’ve been on my own since. I want to propose to you—please come back to England with me."

Feng Yanwen froze. She hadn’t expected Smith to be so direct.

They’d been getting along well lately, and she knew he was raising Emma alone, clearly separated from her mother. She’d expected something sweet from Smith, but she never imagined he’d ask her to go to England with him—it was all so sudden.

Feng Yanwen stood there for a beat before waving him off. "You know how far England is from China. I can’t just pack up and move that far away..."

She didn’t outright reject him, but if the starting point was asking her to go to England, no matter how attractive the country might be, she wouldn’t dare. Who knew what lay ahead? Besides, she and Smith weren’t that close. Relationships are tricky—what if things didn’t work out?

Smith had braced for rejection, his expression falling. "I’m sorry, Feng. I know it’s a lot to ask. I should’ve confessed earlier. If we had more time, would you consider coming with me?"

Feng Yanwen thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I think you know my career is just starting. And I’m not about to center my life around a man or family. It wasn’t easy for me to build what I have now, so—"

She wouldn’t go to England to start a new life.

Her new life here had only just begun.

Smith’s face fell, though he’d braced himself for this. If Feng Yanwen agreed, he’d be overjoyed. If she refused, he wouldn’t be too heartbroken.

But this visit was more about expressing his feelings. He’d never pictured himself falling for an Asian woman, but now that he had to leave, the thought of never seeing Feng Yanwen again filled him with an unprecedented panic—something he’d never felt before.

If he didn’t leave his heart here now, he might never get another chance to confess.

Smith had originally thought his exchange program in China would last at least two years, but unexpectedly, after just two months, his school urgently called him back. He didn’t even know when he’d be able to return to China.

Emma, catching the gist of her dad and Aunt Feng’s talk, suddenly rushed over and clung to Feng Yanwen’s leg, whimpering and crying. The kid was a total sweetheart—impossible to say no to. Feng Yanwen quickly picked her up to soothe her.

Xu Meng slipped a soup dumpling into Emma’s mouth. Still sniffling, but her appetite didn’t lie.

After finishing the first one, she stopped crying, her big blue eyes turning to Xu Meng. "More!"

Nothing cuter than a kid digging into food.

Xu Meng taught her to say "xiaolongbao," teasing her, "Next time you’re here, I’m quizzing you on this, got it?"

Emma had already learned many words in daily life, and Xu Meng encouraged her to speak as much as possible. Children learned quickly—her Chinese was already much better than her dad’s.

Emma’s lip quivered, full-on pout mode.

Xu Meng fed her another one. One after another, until the last one, when Emma said sadly, "Back in England, there’s nothing this good."

Eyes welling up again—she’d grown so attached to them.

Over time, Xu Meng had grown fond of this golden-haired, blue-eyed little girl too. She kissed her cheek. "You’re so adorable."

The kid was a gem—if only she weren’t such a crybaby.

Xu Meng gave in and took her out to distract her, but Emma, still craving more xiaolongbao, badgered her for more treats.

Having traveled through many countries since childhood, especially in Asia, she’d long outgrown plain British kid tastes. Instead, Chinese food suited her tastes perfectly. Emma had barely eaten earlier, but now she was ravenous.

Smith didn't feel embarrassed by the rejection and still invited Feng Yanwen out for lunch.

Feng Yanwen said she had to visit the shop today and likely wouldn’t have time to accompany Smith and Emma.

"It's fine, I’ll take Emma with me when you go out," Smith said.

Feng Yanwen was baffled—hadn’t she just rejected him?

But Smith and Emma acted as if she hadn’t. The father and daughter even started discussing what to eat for lunch, both eager to try Chinese roast duck. They happily settled on having roast duck for lunch and hot pot for dinner. Emma forgot all about her earlier tantrum for xiaolongbao, and the lively chatter between the two lightened the mood considerably.

"Before leaving China, I want to eat roast duck three more times. It’s one of my favorite foods."

Emma also waved her little fists excitedly. "Yummy, yummy!"

The two quickly perked up.

Feng Yanwen didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, but at least she no longer felt as awkward.

Meanwhile, Xu Meng had also finished getting ready and went out with them. She was comfortable around Smith, who never acted like a stuffy elder and spoke to her like a friend. This was probably why Feng Yanwen enjoyed his company too.

After her experiences with Granny Xue and Granny Chen, Feng Yanwen probably wouldn’t date someone who expected her to live with their elderly family in the future.

Well, Xu Meng didn’t want that either.

The moment they stepped out, snow blanketed the ground.

Emma squirmed out of her dad’s arms and ran around excitedly in her bright red boots, shouting, "It’s snowing! It’s snowing!"

She raced ahead, almost losing the adults.

Xu Meng, swept up in the excitement, ran after her, and the two ran far ahead before stopping.

Breathless, they linked hands and headed back, only to find Smith and Feng Yanwen lagging far behind. From a distance, they could only see two small dark figures deep in conversation. Smith’s height made even the tall Feng Yanwen look small. Xu Meng couldn’t help feeling a little regretful—if Smith didn’t have to leave, the two would make a perfect match. She liked how Smith never talked down to her and always said what he meant.

Xu Meng: "Emma, let’s build a snowman!"

Emma pouted. "You’re lying, Sis! There’s not enough snow to make a snowman!"

The snow had barely begun, dusting the ground too lightly for a snowman.

It was a shame they had school the next day. By tomorrow, there would surely be enough snow. Xu Meng felt a little disappointed.

Emma’s eyes lit up as she pointed at her dad. "Maybe Dad and Auntie Feng will start dating! I really want Auntie to be my mom. She’s the gentlest person I’ve ever met—even you got nicer because of her."

Xu Meng gasped. "Why 'even Sis'...?"

Emma blinked her big eyes. "Isn’t that a good thing?"

Xu Meng: "..."

She corrected her immediately. "No way! That’s not a compliment! You should say, 'I like Sis too.'"

It was at this moment that Xu Jiefang appeared before them.

After the family incident, the old lady’s health took a turn for the worse. She was hospitalized several times, and her health deteriorated rapidly.

Since Xu Dawei’s hospitalization, his elder brother and sister-in-law had suspected Xu Jiefang was responsible and constantly harassed him. Finally fed up, Xu Jiefang locked up and left to haul freight down south. His departure only made the Xu family’s situation worse. This time, he had earned a decent sum and returned, ready to eat humble pie and make up with Feng Yanwen.

To say Xu Jiefang had no feelings for Feng Yanwen would be a lie.

Feng Yanwen was strikingly beautiful, and even though she came from the countryside back then, it had actually swelled his pride for a time. But things gradually changed. Feng Yanwen got into university, and the whole family began to view her with disdain.

First, there was the old lady. She worried that her third son’s wife was a country duck turning into a city phoenix and would eventually fly away. To this day, she still says they shouldn’t have let Feng Yanwen attend university—that college put ideas in her head, and without an education, she wouldn’t have had the means to leave, no matter how miserable life at home became.

Then there were the two sisters-in-law, who constantly compared themselves to Feng Yanwen. To keep this younger sister-in-law in check, the two of them often needled her relentlessly at home.

It wasn’t until recently that Xu Jiefang had a sudden realization—his mother and brothers were just background noise, but his wife was his own.

Though he’d lied about being infertile, Feng Yanwen was older now, and who knows what man would take her now. But he was willing to accept Xu Meng. If Feng Yanwen was willing to come back, he’d treat her well and raise Xu Meng as his own. After all, she had grown up in the Xu family and was the daughter of his cousin—she was still blood-related to the Xus.

At this thought, Xu Jiefang’s chest burned with hope.

Xu Meng, though a girl, had always been close to Feng Yanwen since childhood.

He no longer cared whether she was biologically his. Xu Meng’s father was closely related to him anyway—close enough to being his own flesh and blood.

His heart aflame, Xu Jiefang happened to see Xu Meng running around cheerfully with a blonde foreign kid.

Xu Meng was wearing a brand-new goose-yellow padded coat, looking taller than she had during summer break, her face fairer and fuller—she was clearly thriving.

Feng Yanwen really splurged on her!

Xu Jiefang didn’t like Xu Meng much. He’d never clicked with this adopted kid since she was little. Kids pick up on that stuff fast, and Xu Meng had never liked this adoptive father either.

“Xu Meng, where’s your mom?”

Xu Meng nearly bumped into Xu Jiefang, but Emma pulled her back just in time to stop her.

Her first thought was: *What does he want with Mom? Is he here to haul her back as their maid again?*

Looking at Xu Jiefang now—his beard neatly shaved, his clothes carefully tidied—Xu Meng’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively glanced behind her. Feng Yanwen was still chatting with Smith, laughing so hard she covered her mouth, her whole face lit up with laughter.

Xu Jiefang frowned at the sight. “Who’s that foreigner?” His tone was downright nasty.

No wonder the old lady said Feng Yanwen wasn’t the dutiful type.

It had only been half a year since the divorce, and she was already getting chummy with some foreigner. He’d never noticed how much she laughed before—she certainly never laughed like that with him.

At least not in the later years!

But how could he realize that the old Feng Yanwen had to do endless chores while enduring the Xu family’s constant belittling? It would’ve been strange if she could laugh then. Yet Xu Jiefang would never think that way. In his eyes, Feng Yanwen was just a status-obsessed foreigner-chaser.

Grim around him, yet giggling like a schoolgirl with a foreigner.

Not only did Xu Jiefang see Feng Yanwen, but Feng Yanwen also noticed him.

She quickly walked over to Xu Meng, yanking both kids behind her, her eyes sharp with distrust.